Scout's 16th Birthday
by TooManyBeginnings
Summary: All the wonderful things that happened to Scout on her sixteenth birthday. Some old favorites come up.


"Jean Louise! It's time for breakfast!" Scout sighed. Of all the days that her aunt was here, it had to be this day.

"Coming!" she replied. She went to her dresser drawers and smiled. She put on her favorite pair of overalls. She could just see her Aunt's disapproval. That made her smile even wider. She was excited for today, because not only was it her sixteenth birthday, her brother was going down to Mobile to pick up Dill. She was so excited. It had been a couple of years since they were able to see each other.

Scout walked in the living room where her father was reading the newspaper and as her bare feet padded in the room, Atticus looked up from the paper and gave Jean Louise a look. He knew exactly what she was doing and he just shook his head and smiled. She gave her father a hug. "Good morning Atticus," she said.

"Good morning Jean Louise. Happy birthday my dear," he replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"No," she answered. "I am so excited. Dill is coming here! We haven't seen him for a couple of years. I am sure that we are going to have a lot of fun."

Just before Atticus could respond, Aunt Alexandra walked in and sighed, looking at Scout's apparel. "Honestly Jean Louise, for one day, could you be dressed like a young woman and not a tomboy?" She sighed and gave her niece a hug and announced, "Breakfast ready."

They all went in the kitchen where Calpurnia had prepared a huge breakfast display for Scout, including all of her favorite breakfast foods. Her stomach started talking, making her needs known. They started eating breakfast.

Around halfway through, there was running footsteps coming up the stairs that connected to the kitchen. Scout dropped her fork, jumped out of her chair, as two young men came running in the house. "Happy birthday Scout!" chorused Dill and Jem. Her birthday was now complete with her brother home and Dill home. She gave them both a hug. Calpurnia smiled at Jem. "Good morning, Master Jem. Dill, welcome back." She had placed two extra chairs at the table and two extra plates for the both of them.

"Thanks Cal! Smells great!" The boys sat down at the table and started to eat.

"How's Harvard going?" Atticus asked Jem. Jem had been awarded a full ride scholarship.

"Harvard is hard, but it is good. I think I have decided on what type of lawyer I would like to be. I would like to be able to defend people like Tom Robinson. He did not get a fair trial."

"Lord! Can you believe how long ago that was!" Dill commented. "We were so young and were such trouble makers!"

"You are still young and trouble makers," commented Alexandra dryly. But there was a slight smile on her lips.

Dill turned towards Scout and asked, "So what would you like to do today?"

"I have no idea! Maybe going to the ice cream shop for starters."

"Sounds great! We could try and get Boo to come out. I still haven't seen him, and you are the only one who actually saw him out of the three of us. I bet Jem is still scared to come to the front porch."

"I am not!" Jem said indignantly.

"You are not going to bother the Radley house," Atticus ordered strongly. "You can do anything but that. Let Arthur Radley be in peace."

"Then we can reinact some of the movies and stories that we did when we were young, and we can do some of the movies and stories from last year."

"If we do that, I do not want to just have a few lines. And you can't say no, because it is my birthday."

"Come on now, coming from your lawyer, I do not think that that argument would hold up in court," Jem said with a knowing smile on his face.

"Oh, just because you are in law school now, doesn't mean that you can use it against me now," Scout grumbled. Atticus chuckled. He was glad to hear the bickerng from his children again. With Jem being mostly at school, he treasured his time with his daughter, but he was most glad when he was able to have both of his children home.

"Whatever you do, I hope that you remember Scout, that there is going to be a luncheon at Miss Stephanie's house," Aunt Alexandra reminded her.

Before Scout could reply with a snarky comment, Jem stepped in and said, "Don't worry Aunt, we will make sure that she is home by eleven so she has enough time to look presentable and you both have enough time to walk over there and have your luncheon."

"Thank you Jem," Alexandra said. Jem smiled at his aunt. They finished their breakfast and went outside. They went down the porch and for a half hour they sat around and reminisce about the past, and caught up on the things that had happened the past couple of years. Dill had told them his adventures on the train line.

At ten o'clock, they headed down to the ice cream parlor, trying to cool off in a very warm day. On the way back from the parlor, Jem turned to his sister. "I know that you don't like to, especially today, but it would mean a lot to our Aunt if you were civil and wear a dress and went to the luncheon."

"I know Jem. I will try my best to be civil and go to the luncheon and play my part well. I know she means well. At least she let me wear my cover-alls this morning and said nothing about it. So I am sure that I can keep my tongue in cheek for an hour or so," Scout promised. Jem was happy with that. He was glad to see that Scout was growing up, considering how many times she had picked a fight with just about anyone, whoever stood in her way, or disrespected their father. He would not admit it but he was very proud of her.

They had gotten back to the house and Scout went in and got ready for the luncheon that her aunt and the neighbors were throwing for her. She put on the dress that was already set on the bed and walked out. When Aunt Alexandra saw her niece, she gasped and said, "Oh Jean Louise, you look beautiful."

"Thank you Aunt," she sighed, trying to stay cordial. "Are you ready?"

"Yes I am." Aunt Alexandra and Scout made their way across the street and had their luncheon with the young ladies of the town. Alexandra was very pleased with how well Scout acted around them. She was fearing that there would be some sort of rebuttal from her but there was not. On the way back to the house, she was thinking of some ways that she could repay her for her good behavior. She had the perfect idea, but it would require finesse so the children would not get suspicious.

When they got to the house, Scout went back to her room and changed her clothes, back into her cover-alls. She sat on the porch with her brother and Jem and drank some lemonade and ate Calpurnia's famous cookies. They sat talking about the past summers. Scout was very interested in the stories that Dill told her about the summer that he was able to ride the train lines with his father. How he was able to see so many places in just a small amount of time. He had told her how beautiful California and how Texas was almost as hot as it was in Mobile during the summer.

A couple hours later, they came inside the house for dinner. Aunt Alexandra sat next to Atticus. Uncle Jack was on the other side of Atticus. Scout sat between her brother and Dill. As dinner was about to be served, there was a knock on the door. Aunt Alexandra got up and answered it. "Welcome, come on in," she said with her southern charm. She stood in the doorway and looked at Scout. "You have a visitor." She stood to the side and the figure walked in.

Scout gasped. Standing in the dining room door, was a man who she had not seen since she was young. "Hey Boo!" she gasped. Jem and Dill's mouth dropped open. They could not believe that after all these years, they finally could see the man in person that they had alaways imagined. Jem did not remember anything from the accident and he only had his sister's account of everything that happened and what he looked like. He remembered her description. He was so excited that he could see him with his own eyes.

"Welcome Arthur. Would you like to take a seat?" Atticus offered. Arthur Radley smiled in response. Scout pushed a spare chair next to hers, between Jem and her. He sat down. "Cal, please set another plate for dinner," Atticus asked her. Calpurnia smiled and nodded her head. She looked at Aunt Alexandra and gave her a knowing smile.

They ate dinner and Dill and Jem would ask him as many questions. Atticus reminded them that it is not wise to over crowd their guest.

"That's alright Mr. Finch," he answered with a smile. Boo was very patient with the children and answered all the questions that they had. "I can't believe how long it has been since the summer before the Robinson case. I remember looking out one of my windows and watching you guys have the little backyard theater."

"Sorry we tried to mimic what we heard about you stabbing your father," Jem told Boo Radley ashamedly.

"Please don't apologise for being a child. I must admit, it was definitely something amusing to watch," he chuckled. "It is interesting to watch things from a child's point of view."

"So were you really in the jail with mold and bats?" asked Dill. Aunt Alexandra nearly choked on her drink and gave Dill a pointed look.

"You cannot ask him something like that," she admonished her.

"There were no mold and no bats in the room I was at," he answered.

After they were done eating dinner, they went into the living room and they had given Scout all of her presents and she opened them. She thanked everyone for her gifts. She loved that her father finally gaver her the pearls that her mother was going to give to her. She had always admired them. She would wear them until the day that she died.

"If you do not mind, I have something for the three of you," Boo Radley said quietly. He pulled some things out of his jacket. He gave Jem a football. "I heard that you were really good on the football team." He also gave all three of them, a new soap doll that looked exactly like the three of them. Scout smiled. She still had the first soap doll that they had found all those years ago. "I know that it is not much, I am sorry."

"This is perfect. Thank you!" she said. "I still have the one that you made of Jem and I," she confessed. Arthur smiled at this.

They stayed in the living room and talked about the future. "Miss Jean Louise, have you figured out what school you want to go to?" Uncle Hank asked.

"Yes, I think that I would like to go to Harvard and become a lawyer," she answered.

"Lord, three lawyers, can you just think of the discussions during Christmas break and summer break," Uncle Hank mused with a slight chuckle. "It's definitely in your blood."

"I was nking of becoming a doctor or a writer, but I ended up thinking of becoming a lawyer and doing good for the people," she answered.

"If you were a writer, what would you write about?" asked Arthur.

Scout thought about it and finally she smiled and answered. "I would probably write about the stories that we played out together years ago, and our adventures."

"Why don't you write it? While on your breaks you could sit down and write the stories of the past," suggested Arthur. "I am sure that a lot of people would like to read the Adventures of the Three Mischevious Children." Jem and Dill laughed at the title.

"I think you are on to something Mr. Radley," Scout sight sweetly. "I think I will do that! But write under a different name."

"What name will you use?" Uncle Hank asked.

"I don't rightly know right now, but I will think about it."

"Whatever you decide to do, I know it will be the right thing and I will be very proud of you," Atticus promised his daughter. "If you decide after a year or so that being a lawyer is not right for you, you could always try writing. You don't have to follow in my footsteps."

"I know, but I guess it has always been in my blood. You were a lawyer, Jem is becoming a lawyer. And I want to make a name for myself and not be just a housewife." She looked at her aunt and said, "I am sorry Aunt Alexandra, I am just not going to ever fit in and be like that."

Aunt Alexandra pulled back a piece of hair from Scout's face and she pulled it right behind her ear. "My dear girl, I know. And I think that it is time that I accept that fact. No matter how many times that I try and tell you to wear a dress and stop acting like a boy, I have to just accept the fact that you are not like any other woman." Scout sighed in relief. She thought that finally she was getting somewhere with her aunt. She knew it would take years for her to finally accept it, but at least that was a start.

"I will wear one thing every day, that would set me apart." She put her hand over her necklace. Atticus and Alexandra smiled. She knew it would mean a lot to her father if she wore the pearls and they were the only thing she had left of her mother.

"But when you decide to rough house you cannot wear them. You would not want to damage them," Alexandra chided. Scout agreed.

Boo cleared his thought and said, "I am sorry, but I am afraid that I have to go. It is getting late."

"I can walk you home Arthur," Scout offered. He smiled back at her and welcomed the invitation.

"On one condition. It is not Arthur. To you three, I will always be Boo Radley."

"Deal!" Jem and Dill chorused. "I hope you have a good night Boo. And it was nice to finally meet you. I am glad that you do not have scar and you don't eat children," Dill replied.

Boo laughed. "Well you are no longer children. You are lucky," he teased which made the children laugh. He shook all of their hands and thanked them for letting him come over and join in celebrating Scout's birthday.

"You are welcome any time Arthur," Atticus promised.

"Thank you Atticus." Scout took Boo Radley's hand and they walked to the Radley house on the corner. She chuckled as she walked on the porch. "What is so funny?"

"I can't believe that I was so frightened back then to even touch this porch. So much time has passed," Scout mused.

"I for one, am glad that you are no longer afraid of coming on this porch, or touching the side of the house."

"Boo, when we were at the back of your house, when Jem got his pants scratched, was that you or your brother that we saw?"

"That was my brother. He did not approve of children coming around and trying to see what was going on in the house. Ever since I came home, it had been like that. I am sorry that he shot that shot gun at you."

"That's alright. Atticus still thinks it was some random animals that he was shooting at. He never caught us."

"Your father is very wise. I am sure that he figured it out but was thankful that you were safe in the end. I am sure that Dill was a terrible liar back then. What did he say that you two were doing?"

"Strip poker. Just in case that we could not find Jem's pants."

"You and your imagination," he mused. "I hope you had a wonderful birthday Scout. And I wish you all the very best. I hope that you will be able to finish your book one day. I think you should write it. It was a wonderful story to tell. Yes, there were some things in the story that was not so great but in the end, everything turned out okay."

"The first copy of the book, I will give to you," Scout promised. "Good night Boo," Scout whispered. She gave him a hug. Boo stood there and hugged her back for a few seconds and then he patted her back and said, "Alright, I think it is time that you go back him to your father and Aunt and Uncle and brother and Dill. I am sure that they are glad to finally see me in the flesh."

"And at least this time Jem is not unconscious," Scout noted. A shiver was sent down her spine just thinking of that night.

"That was many years ago. And you and Jem are safe."

"Thanks to you," Scout said with admiration in her voice. "Good night Boo. Until next time." Boo squeezed her hand and turned and walked in the dark house. Scout stood there for some time until she heard her father shout her name. Scout smiled once more and she walked off the porch and walked back home.

In the end, she ended up writing a book about the case of Tom Robinson and the Three Mischievious Children but she name it 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. She used a syeudonom: Harper Lee. And after her brother died of the same heart problem that killed their mother, Scout vowed to become a lawyer and she and Atticus practiced together. Some of the cases were criminal cases and others were problems of the land. And she kept her promise of wearing the pearl necklace until the day that she died.


End file.
